8 Easy ways to bring romance into the holiday season and keep your fires roaring all winter long

1. Get cozy: Stay in when the weather outside is frightful. Snuggle up with your sweetheart underneath a soft blanket. Watch an old movie. Get distracted halfway through.

2. Appreciate the mood lighting: The lights on a Christmas tree or adorning your porch create a beautiful soft glow perfect for gazing lovingly into your partner’s eyes and watching them sparkle. Candlelight is also classically romantic, especially when the candle doubles as a massage oil.

3. Embrace traditions… sort of: Take old holiday traditions and make them your own. Wear a stealthyvibrator while you’re out shopping. Or make gingerbread cookies, and use frosting to write each other’s pet names.

4. Get on the naughty list: There’s no better time to give the gift of pain-as-pleasure. A spanking paddle gives your hand a break while you make your partner’s behind shine redder than Rudolph’s nose.

6. Let yourself shine: Add some sparkle to the night with new lingerie. Everyone loves a gift with extra-special wrapping.

7. Read steamy stories together: Leave the sugarplum fairies for another night. Pick out a sexy book of erotica and take turns reading to each other.

8. Get fresh: Not only is peppermint an annual favorite flavor, it’s also a primary ingredient in several sensation-enhancing products. The peppermint oil stimulates any place it’s applied to, giving you a magical feeling that’s sure to get you in a festive mood.

Anna Rose is passionate about helping others to have fun and healthy sex lives. She enjoys studying gender diversity and sexuality, human anatomy and physiology, and STI prevention/safer sex.